Two men carrying loaded weapons and waiving a confederate flag said they were there to support SB 1070. One man was carrying a loaded shotgun and wearing a White People's Party shirt. The other said he was a big fan of Hitler, calling him a "great White civil rights leader."When asked why they broght loaded guns to the event, the men said they needed to defend themselves and they were ready to fire.Many of the protesters feel that Arizona's new immigration law was written by people with similar views. SB 1070 was co-authored by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which as been categorized by the Southern Poverty Law Center has as a hate group.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "White supremacists with loaded weapons appear at i...": Not everyone who supports SB 1070 are racist *@#holes like these guys.As a Latina the thought that my rights as an American Citizens, might become collateral damage in the quest to hunt down illegal is frightening. The fact that over 60% agree that the inconvenience to those of us with brown skin, is a fair price to pay, bothers me. Your right not all pro SB1070 are racist, but they are predominately white and have no clue what it is to be insulted with "show me your papers" As a caring human being I find it repulsive when innocent people are treated as less than human.

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer says she wants to meet with President Barack Obama about border security and immigration while in Washington next week.

The White House responds by saying Obama's schedule "doesn't allow for a meeting" with Brewer, but spokesman Adam Abrams adds that Obama "does intend to sit down with the governor in the future."Brewer had said Friday she asked to meet with Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano while in Washington next week to meet with other governors.

She also criticized the administration, saying the country's borders still aren't secure and that the federal government should be moving quicker to do more to change that.Abrams didn't respond to a request for comment on that.

San Diego, California (CNN) -- Don't be surprised if, any day now, you read that the People's Republic of Arizona is in the market for nuclear warheads to put an end, once and for all, to illegal immigration on its southern border. After all, it's the next logical step for the rogue state.

"Iran makes a KILLING every day we wait" the ad says. The word "KILLING" is in all caps and dark letters next to a barrel of oil and a pile of American dollars. It takes a closer reading to learn the advertisement supports clean energy legislation pending in Congress and an end to U.S. dependence on oil imports from countries like Iran.

"We take issue not with your ultimate goal of combating climate change, but rather with the destructive manner in which your message is being delivered and the unintended consequences it may help produce," the NIAC letter says. "Therefore, we strongly urge you to acknowledge the consequences of your ad campaign and to take immediate action to remove the ads in question."

Thirteen years ago, Microsoft had to prop up its arch-rival Apple with a loan. On Wednesday, Apple's market capitalization became bigger than Microsoft's, completing one of the most dramatic turnarounds in business history (not to mention further validating one of the most effective loans in business history).

The decorated Marine veteran best known for leading his group of outraged, armed citizens on freelance border patrols is an icon of the grass-roots battle against illegal immigration. To his admirers, he’s a citizen enforcing the law where the government has failed. To his critics, he’s a vigilante.

And to Republicans staking out a hard line on immigration, his endorsement is the gold standard. This election cycle, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Utah Senate candidate Tim Bridgewater and Democrat-turned-Republican Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith have been among those accepting his support.

But Republicans in Griffith’s Huntsville district and in one other state say support for a border fence and stepped-up deportation aren’t enough to win Gilchrist’s endorsement: They also were told bluntly that they would need to hire a consulting firm closely linked to the Minuteman founder and run by the project’s political director, Mississippi political consultant Howie Morgan.

"The attorney general asked us very specific, good questions about our experiences — all the things we've heard — to get a good reading on the ground," Wexler said. "Beyond that he did not give us any indication of what the Justice Department is going to do."We were not trying to influence the attorney general as much as to have a conversation with him about our concerns and also get the [Obama administration] focused on the need for national legislation.""The U.S. attorney general listened to us — we had a great conversation — but he was not committal," the Los Angeles chief said. "His task is to announce his plans to the American people, not necessarily to this group. I think that we influenced him, but we will see."

The logic is clear: the new hard-line Arizona law, widely popular among the sort of Republicans that dominate this state’s GOP primaries, and Poizner’s unrelenting focus on the broader issue, forced Whitman to engage on a topic she was hoping to avoid.But so are the risks. Some operatives and analysts regard her strategy as the political equivalent of biting into forbidden fruit — tantalizing at the moment but potentially fatal in a general-election matchup with Jerry Brown.Whitman does little to hide her frustration with Poizner—regarded as merely a nuisance until polls recently tightened—for drawing so much attention to the polarizing issue. His campaign is now focused entirely on painting her as weak on immigration, except for an audacious Spanish-language ad in which he notes her support from Wilson.

LATOURETTE: They’ve run this diagram and it really is a, I think, blaspheming my good friend Pat Tiberi from Ohio and indicating that there are nine Republicans supporting a bill that will bail out unions. Well, that’s nonsense and I don’t know who the pin head and weenie is at Fox News that decided to put that story together. But the true facts of this piece of legislation are as follows. This bill will save the taxpayers by saying to those corporations that have union pension plans, if you find yourselves in a bind, rather than thrusting that upon the taxpayer, it spreads out over five years the ability to bring those pension plans up to speed. That’s good government, it’s a good bill. It’s a good Tiberi bill and I don’t know what they’re doing at Fox News, but they should stop smoking it and get back to reporting the facts.

Shaw’s family alleged in their suit that because of an agreement allowing local agencies to enforce federal immigration law, the Sheriff’s Department was liable for Shaw’s death.

At the time of the suit’s filing, immigration law experts said the argument that a sheriff or warden could be held liable for releasing an illegal immigrant who goes on to commit a crime was unprecedented.In dismissing the suit Wednesday, Judge Charles F. Palmer found that the federal-local partnership did not mean the sheriff had a “mandatory duty” to transfer illegal immigrants after they completed their sentences.

There is humor in some of these TV ads the two Republican gubernatorial candidates have been running in an attempt to outflank each other on the right.

"These commercials have been awfully bad the last few weeks. They're silly."And they're basically not to be believed. Oh, there's a sprinkling of truth here and there, but not enough to warrant any serious thought. The ads are packed with distortions and outright lies, too many to go into here. The Times has chronicled the worst examples in stories.Everything these candidates say in their ads is deservedly tainted.And usually intellectually insulting.

The county's fraud hotline typically receives about 500 tips every six months. The latest report was unusual because it found misconduct that touched the highest levels of the Fire Department and the office of the county's chief executive, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraud.

• A Department of Public Social Services employee obtained the personal and confidential information of 82 welfare participants and used the information to file fraudulent income tax returns for refunds totaling at least $100,000. The employee, Trang Dinh, was fired after the alleged conduct came to light, auditors said.

• Three senior Fire Department managers played golf during county work hours but claimed a full day on their timecards, according to investigators. One of the employees also recorded overtime for that day, the report said. Two of the employees were not disciplined because at the time, Fire Department rules allowed them to report they had worked full shifts if they worked at least one hour, a practice that has since been changed.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

(Reuters) - Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives, stung by criticism that their party lacks new ideas, launched an online initiative on Tuesday to hear suggestions and policy proposals directly from Americans.

(Reuters) - U.S. troops deployed to the Mexican border will take a backseat role to civilian security forces combating illegal flows of drugs and migrants and will not militarize the frontier, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico said on Wednesday.

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama's new national security strategy will make clear the United States is not at war with Islam, a top adviser said on Wednesday as the administration prepared for a formal break with Bush-era doctrine.

Republicans are relying on 30-year-old economic ideas to catapult them to congressional majorities in the November midterm elections. But that's a risky business, given that so many Americans remain strung out with anxiety over money, jobs and health insurance.

Now The Daily Beast has obtained a document—displayed below—that goes to the heart of BP procedures, demonstrating that before the company’s previous major disaster—at a moment when the oil giant could choose between cost-savings and greater safety—it selected cost-savings. And BP chose to illustrate that choice, without irony, by invoking the classic Three Little Pigs fairy tale.

In a move to quell growing public anger and mounting fear over illegal immigration along the Southwest border, President Barack Obama is ordering up to 1,200 additional National Guard troops to the border area and requesting an additional $500 million from Congress to slow the flow of migrants.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Staff members at an agency that oversees offshore drilling accepted tickets to sports events, lunches and other gifts from oil and gas companies and used government computers to view pornography, according to an Interior Department report alleging a culture of cronyism between regulators and the industry.

The task force, which comprised of neighborhood leaders, watchdog activists attorneys and city employees, was set up as a response to a series of excessive force complaints.The most recent of those complaints was filed in March by City Councilman Michael Johnson. He claimed his civil rights were violated when he was cuffed and thrown to the ground while trying to check on a neighbor after a house fire.

Other residents stepped forward after that to make similar claims.Last week, the task force took a look at more than 90 claims of excessive force on the part of Phoenix police officers.

The investigation into Johnson's complaint reportedly has been wrapped up, but it's not clear when the details will be released to the public.

In an e-mail obtained by our sister station in Phoenix, Pearce writes he plans to "push for an Arizona bill that would refuse to accept or issue a birth certificate that recognizes citizenship to those born to illegal aliens, unless one parent is a citizen."

Federal officials hope the prosecution of Michel Malecot, owner of San Diego's French Gourmet, will deter other employers from knowingly hiring undocumented workers. Malecot has pleaded not guilty.

The indictment reflects a new approach by federal authorities as they crack down on the hiring of illegal immigrants in the United States. After years of conducting sweeps of undocumented laborers, the federal government is now focusing more on the employers who knowingly hire them.

Much reporting on opposition to the Obama administration portrays it as a sort of populist uprising. Yet the antics of the socialism-and-death-panels crowd are only part of the story of anti-Obamaism, and arguably the less important part. If you really want to know what’s going on, watch the corporations.

Look, for example, at the campaign contributions of commercial banks — traditionally Republican-leaning, but only mildly so. So far this year, according to The Washington Post, 63 percent of spending by banks’ corporate PACs has gone to Republicans, up from 53 percent last year. Securities and investment firms, traditionally Democratic-leaning, are now giving more money to Republicans. And oil and gas companies, always Republican-leaning, have gone all out, bestowing 76 percent of their largess on the G.O.P.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Immigration reform has bounced on many presidential tables. Nothing has ever been done nor is their any interest now in addressing this issue. A never ending saga, that will go away as jobs begin to reappear. Well I think as payment for using Latinos as your political scapegoat, The Dream Act should be the price paid for pimping us and then feeding us, to the bigots. It's time we rent our services!

For most teenagers, turning 13 is a right of passage, high school looms ahead with dreams of prom, boys and football rallies. For me, I learned the truth of my status and began to see the world through a different lens. We didn't leave El Salvador because we wanted to; we left because we had to. The choice was a simple one of survival.

The choices that followed that decision have been a trickle-down effect that occurred the moment President Reagan agreed to increase funding for the Salvadoran civil war.

This issue - American involvement in international affairs - is often missing in discussions on immigration. I would wager that most Americans don't know where El Salvador is or know how much money was pumped into its civil war.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

PHOENIX -- John Morton, assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commented this week that ICE will not necessarily process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona authorities, according to published reports.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona called it encouraging. “I think what it means is that they have some doubts themselves about the constitutionality of SB 1070, and I think that they doubt, as many of us do, that this law will ever take effect,” said Roberto Reveles, of ACLU of Arizona.

The doctored picture, one of several circulating widely in the aftermath of Arizona's controversial new immigration law, may seem harmless, ridiculous or even tasteless.But experts say the pictures and the rhetoric surrounding them online, in newspapers and at public rallies, reveal some Americans' attitudes about race, immigrants and where some of immigration reform debate may be headed.

I share the hate, because I think it's important to KNOW how Hispanic are percieved, not that it should matter in our lives, but should serve as a wake up call and a chance to reach out to one another.

This morning, he sent copies of that CD to Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Homeland Security (and former Arizona governor) Janet Napolitano, both of whom criticized the bill, and then later admitted they had not read the 10-page measure that has sparked nationwide controversy.

Why read the bill...It's a subject not being considered, just tapped danced around.

The Pot Stirrer has left a new comment on your post "Costa Mesa declared itself a 'rule of law' communi...":Actually, the vote was 4-0, with council member Katrina Foley departing the chambers before this issue was discussed. This is pure political posturing by Mayor Allan Mansoor to grease the skids of his run for the 68th Assembly seat being vacated by Van Tran. He generated the same divisive chaos in Costa Mesa 4 years ago as he ran for re-election on the backs of the City's Latino population.

Friday, May 21, 2010

By APRIL CASTRO, Associated Press Writer April Castro, Associated Press Writer – 30 mins agoAUSTIN, Texas – The Texas State Board of Education adopted a social studies and history curriculum Friday that amends or waters down the teaching of the civil rights movement, slavery, America's relationship with the U.N. and hundreds of other items.

Conservatives say the Texas history curriculum has been unfairly skewed to the left after years of Democrats controlling the board.

"The monument would consist of a Mosque for the worship of the terrorists' monkey-god (repeat: "the terrorists' monkey-god." if you feel that fits a description of Allah then that is your own deep-seated emotional baggage not mine, talk to the terrorists who use Allah as their excuse and the Muslims who apologize for and rationalize them) and a "cultural center" to propagandize for the extermination of all things not approved by their cult. It is a project of American Society for Muslim Advancement and the Cordoba Initiative, essentially the same group of apologists (but under 2 different names) for terrorists and the animals who use it as a terrorist ideology. They cloak their evil with new age gibberish that suggests Islam is just misunderstood."

FoxNewsLatino.com will launch this fall, the network announced this week, and will "feature the latest breaking news, politics, economic and lifestyle stories that impact the Latino community."The site will feature videos in both English and Spanish, and will include reports filed from the US as well as Central America, South America, the West Indies, and beyond.

Paul's defense of the oil company came during an interview in which he tried to explain his controversial take on civil rights law, an issue that has overtaken his campaign since his victory in Tuesday's GOP primary.

The Costa Mesa City Council has voted unanimously to declare itself a "rule of law" community, further widening the divide over illegal immigration in the central Orange County city.

Costa Mesa has sought for several years to reduce the number of illegal immigrants within its borders by regulating day laborers, asking police to check the immigration status of people they stop and limiting the number of soccer fields in parks.

I hope this doesn't surprise anyone, Orange County hasn't been Hispanic Friendly in a LONG time !

Thursday, May 20, 2010

College Board Backs Bill to Legalize Undocumented StudentsApril 22, 2009 01:16 PM ET Eddy RamírezPending federal legislation that would create a path to citizenship for an estimated 360,000 undocumented high school graduates is receiving the support of the College Board, the organization that administers the SATs and counts 5,000 schools as members.

Rand Paul’s equivocal position on desegregation in private business raises a sensitive issue for the Tea Party movement; our polling’s found that many of its critics suspect that racial prejudice is a significant factor in its support. Paul’s comment runs the risk of reinforcing that view among the movement’s opponents, and perhaps alienating some of those who now see it neutrally.

" I don't understand why this is news...but what the heck ! "Some of the noisiest advocates and agitators for immigration reform in Congress will be looking in from the outside, hoping that the American and Mexican presidents seize the opportunity to push for progress on the issue.

WASHINGTON — Mexican President Felipe Calderon is telling Congress that the fight against narcotics traffickers along the border can only succeed if the United States reduces its demand for illegal drugs.

The head of the Department of Water and Power said Wednesday that the Arizona boycott would not affect the city's utilities because the agency is part owner of both Arizona power plants that supply electricity to Los Angeles.

The student shyly raised her hand and said, "My mom ... she says that Barack Obama is taking everybody away that doesn't have papers."Mrs. Obama replied: "Yeah, well that's something that we have to work on, right? To make sure that people can be here with the right kind of papers, right? That's exactly right."The girl then said quietly, "But my mom doesn't have any ..." and trailed off.Mrs. Obama replied: "Well, we have to work on that. We have to fix that, and everybody's got to work together in Congress to make sure that happens. That's right."

Obama has promised to start work on an immigration overhaul, but he's also warned that Congress may not have the appetite to take on the sensitive issue this year. He pointed out Wednesday that he can't get the 60 votes he would need in the Senate to pass an immigration bill unless some Republicans step forward. That Republican support could be hard to come by for Obama in an election year.

Boy he walked on water to get healthcare and we can't even get his staff to read SB1070 !

BY DAVID LUHNOW AND NICHOLAS CASEYMexico's president, Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, talked with Wall Street Journal correspondents David Luhnow and Nicholas Casey. Read an edited transcript of their conversation.

It wasn't so much anti-incumbent but anti-establishment.That's the message that came out of the results on Tuesday, where voters sent a message to the party establishment — both Democratic and Republican — that expressed a deep dissatisfaction with the status quo.

A member of an Arizona board that oversees utilities has suggested that they cut power transfers to Los Angeles because of the city's boycott in connection with the state's anti-immigration crackdown.Gary Pierce, a member of the Arizona Corporate Commission, sent a letter to L.A. officials Tuesday discussing the possibility that Arizona cut power to L.A. from generators in that state.

One of the men, Michael Novick, said his father's family had been killed in the Holocaust. He compared the Arizona law to policies enacted in the early days of Nazi Germany. That drew an angry response from Mark Steven of Santa Ana.

Dear Sonia, SUPPORT MALDEF’S LEGAL CHALLENGE TO SB 1070, CLICK HERE TO DONATE $25, $50, $75 OR MORE!This week, MALDEF and other civil rights organizations filed a legal challenge in federal court to Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s anti-immigration and racial profiling law SB 1070. With the enactment of SB 1070, Governor Brewer and other SB 1070 supporters have ignored long-standing prohibitions against racial profiling, unlawful discrimination, and state intrusion into federal authority found in a host of federal and state laws, as well as in the United States Constitution.SUPPORT MALDEF’S LEGAL CHALLENGE TO SB 1070, CLICK HERE TO DONATE $25, $50, $75 OR MORE!SB 1070 threatens the legal and constitutional protections afforded Arizona residents and visitors because the law compels law enforcement officers to enforce this draconian law and directs them to engage in racial profiling and discrimination. The supposed “fixer” bill, HB 2162, fails to address the fundamental flaws of SB 1070 and adds frightening expansions of state power to permit law enforcement to violate the rights of Arizona residents and visitors. Together, these discriminatory laws will require Latinos and other immigrants to carry their “papers” as proof of their immigration status for fear of criminal prosecution. Moreover, these measures will further alienate segments of Arizona communities most in need of protection, like victims and witnesses to crimes. MALDEF has challenged the constitutionality of SB 1070 for violating the United States Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

"We have come to take our government back," Paul, who will face the winner from a field of five Democrats in November, told supporters in Bowling Green, Kentucky. "This Tea Party movement is a message to Washington that we are unhappy and we want things done differently."

Sunday, May 16, 2010

PHOENIX — As calls spread for an economic boycott of Arizona, the state's governor enlisted the help of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on Saturday to defend a new law cracking down on illegal immigration.

The biggest problem — the worst frustration to relief organizations ready and eager to build homes — is the lack of land to build on. Haiti’s government has been far too sluggish in finding and acquiring sites to build new housing.

Property ownership and land titles were a messy business in Haiti in the best of times, and now, with records destroyed and many landowners reluctant to cooperate, the problem is excruciating. Some communities take a not-in-my-backyard stance toward indigent newcomers because it seems obvious to them that new “transitional” settlements will likely be permanent.

Immigration reform has once again made a brief cameo appearance, leaving behind a trail of confusion and mistrust that has eventually brewed into hate. As a Latina and an American Citizen, my heart bled for those caught in the crossfire of this debate, thanking god, I wasn’t one of them. How naïve of me and many Hispanics, who thought “It can never happen to me” so we watched and kept quiet. Hoping, it would go away

SB1070 and HB2281 is a crude reminder that no matter how much we may think we are Americans, in the eyes of public opinion we are and will always be Hispanics first and maybe Citizens, if we have proof.

I was shocked when SB1070 became law, but what floored me, was the responses I read in various websites. The hate and opinions supporting these laws dominate the internet and debates nationwide, exposing the true feelings felt about this issue and Hispanics in general.

The more I read the angrier I got, but at the same time, I began to see that the fear and hate felt for Hispanics wasn’t anything new. Immigration reform has become a political scapegoat, dangled in our faces like a puppet on a string, when ever the mood strikes. In this case we became collateral damage, in a battle against our first black President and a birth certificate.

Arce did not deny that protesters seen walking out of class and pumping their fists in the air in recent days were TUSD students. But he was not willing to concede that in doing so, they took any inspiration from his course. "These are historical episodes. We look at all historic episodes in their totality.... We don't have workshops on how to protest or how to organize in the community. These are simply historical episodes." When asked directly if there's any chance students might be emulating what they saw in the textbook, Arce replied, "Not whatsoever."

"We're being called 'racist' and 'seditious' and 'redneck,'" she said. "I really don't mind the 'redneck' part. I'm fine with that one. It's no mystery who we are: We're Americans; everyday hard-working patriotic Americans. The 21st Century Tea Party movement, it starts right here in Chicago. This is where it starts. So Illinois, your place in the history of this grass movement has been instrumental."

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Attorney General Eric Holder’s declaration to ABC News that Arizona’s recently enacted anti-illegal immigration law (S.B. 1070) is “not racist in its motivation,” may signal the Obama Administration’s intent to ratchet down the reckless rhetoric with regard to the country’s immigration policy, specifically S.B. 1070.There is little wonder why. From across the nation, newspaper headlines chronicle the anti-illegal movement that is burgeoning in spite of the hate-filled race baiting on the part of advocates of amnesty and other pro-illegal policies.

“Attrition through enforcement” as a restrictionist framework for immigration reform"

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The Tucson and Flagstaff city councils voted Tuesday to sue Arizona over its tough new immigration law, citing concerns about enforcement costs and negative effects on the state's tourism industry.They are the first municipalities in Arizona to approve legal challenges to the law. Earlier this week, proposed litigation in Phoenix took a hit when the city attorney said Mayor Phil Gordon lacks the authority to file suit without the support of the City Council.

(Grand Rapids, MI - WHTC News) - The Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund has filed a federal lawsuit against Ottawa County and Clerk Dan Krueger, claiming that the constitutional rights to marriage were denied to an unnamed Latino couple from Holland because they couldn’t come up with social security numbers. One of the plaintiffs is an illegal immigrant. That lawsuit mentioned by MALDEF is pending, although there are reports that it could be dismissed by the judge in the case because MALDEF won't disclose the names of the plaintiffs. MALDEF claims that such disclosure in that case and in this litigation could lead to prosecution.What the.......Yo knuckelheads, chose your battles wisely !

"Sheri ff Joe Arpaio (in Arizona ), who created the 'Tent City Jail,' has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them. He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails, took away their weights, ..."

"But it's short-sighted to ignore the historical context: Certainly, it's way too late to rectify the injustices of the Mexican-American War of 1846 or our well-documented exploitation of Mexican natural resources throughout the 19th Century. But eventually Mexico's proximity to the U.S. began to pay off: Mexican labor was not only permitted, it was encouraged, to come north, and a mutually beneficial, symbiotic relationship developed that functioned well in practical ways for many years on both sides of the border. Now, suddenly, we're shocked that we have Mexicans among us."

“The overwhelming majority of Americans think the country’s immigration policies need to be seriously overhauled.” And most Americans support Arizona’s stringent new immigration enforcement law, “even though they say it may lead to racial profiling.” That’s the finding of the latest New York Times / CBS News poll, according to the Times article summarizing the poll.

"High unemployment rates among Latinos has made it crucial for NCLR and its partners to create sustainable programs and models that enable Latino workers to gain a stronger foothold in the workforce and the economy," said Janet Murguia, NCLR President and CEO. "This grant will enable NCLR to engage its community-based Affiliates in putting Latino families back to work."

These are our Hispanic Leaders....por eso estamos, como estamos !NCLR- Busy looking busy.MALDEF-Busy planning the next Black Tie Gala.CHIRLA-Bless their hearts, their planning the next march.

By PAUL DAVENPORT (AP) – 16 hours agoPHOENIX — The two proposed referendum drives challenging Arizona's new sweeping law targeting illegal immigration are being abandoned, organizers said Monday.Andrew Chavez, a professional petition circulator involved in one of the efforts, said its backers pulled the plug after concluding they might not be able to time their petition filings in such a way as to put the law on hold pending a 2012 public vote.Jon Garrido, the chief organizer of the other drive, attributed its end to a belief that the law would have been subject to legal protections under Arizona's Constitution if approved by Arizona voters

Phoenix, Arizona (CNN) -- Margarito Blanco trains his camcorder on the officer approaching a Chevy pickup, while his friend Andrew Sanchez furiously scribbles notes on a pad.They are not working for the police. They're watching them.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Upcoming EventsMALDEF hosts the annual Latino State of the Union policy roundtable and four annual regional awards galas in Los Angeles, CA; Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; and San Antonio, TX. The purpose of the awards galas is to highlight MALDEF’s commitment and dedicated service to the community and recognize individuals, corporations, and law firms who have been instrumental in advancing justice for Latinos.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Minnesota House Republicans rolled out their own brand of Arizona-inspired immigration legislation Thursday, which they said was necessary to deal with the estimated 100,000 illegal immigrants in Minnesota.This issue has become a ploy...Republicans VS Obama, "y nosotros pagamos los platos rotos"

"New Rule: This Mother's Day, all Americans must pause and extend a special thanks to the women who maintain our homes, who take care of our kids, and who still make time for sex with Dad. I'm talking, of course, about our nannies. Lost in this whole immigration debate is why Americans want to be so harsh on the people who, in so many and varied ways, enable them to sit on their fat asses."

One of the 136 illegal immigrants detained in the raid was Carlos’s mother, Encarnación Bail Romero, a Guatemalan. A year and a half after she went to jail, a county court terminated Ms. Bail’s rights to her child on grounds of abandonment. Carlos, now 2, was adopted by a local couple.In his decree, Judge David C. Dally of Circuit Court in Jasper County said the couple made a comfortable living, had rearranged their lives and work schedules to provide Carlos a stable home, and had support from their extended family. By contrast, Judge Dally said, Ms. Bail had little to offer.“The only certainties in the biological mother’s future,” he wrote, “is that she will remain incarcerated until next year, and that she will be deported thereafter.”HOW is this fair?

The United States has received Iraqis, Burmese, and Bhutanese in larger numbers in 2010 than any other refugee groups, according to the Refugee Processing Center Web site, which a blog reader brought to my attention. As of the end of last month, 8,734 Iraqis, 7,731 Burmese, and 6,632 Bhutanese had arrived in the United States during the 2010 fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1, 2009 to Sept. 30, 2010.

Let's see, they've gone thru, Native Americans, Asians, Europeans, Mexicans...could they be recruiting, ya right ! GOOD LUCK with this group !

Friday, May 7, 2010

That's not easy for some Hispanics, let alone other Americans. Even as the Arizona immigration debate has highlighted concerns of the nation's more than 40 million Latino citizens, it has revealed a lack of name-brand recognition for those dedicated to serving America's largest minority group."MALDEF...I rest my case ! (Ya ni la friegan, vergüenza les debería dar!)

"This Mother's Day my heart aches for the undocumented mothers in Arizona and throughout the nation who are living the consequences of a broken immigration system and who live in fear of being separated from their families. I honor them because I know first hand that it is a mother's resilience, which pushes and pulls a family out of poverty and hopelessness and into the boundless opportunities of education."

“Arizona when you don’t have ID. … Adios amigos,” Obama quipped”….How insensitive ! Whats seems to be funny to Obama, is a an open wound to many of us. If his choice is to ignore our cries, we shouldn’t be the bunt of his dis-respect !

Many people don't think about this side of the issue because it doesn't directly affect them, but it's a real problem for families when you have some who are here legally and some who are not. They live in constant fear of being broken apart and as one local psychiatrist says, "he would hate to be in their shoes."

WASHINGTON -- An E. coli outbreak possibly linked to tainted lettuce has sickened at least 19 people in Ohio, New York and Michigan, including students on at least two college campuses, prompting a recall throughout much of the country. Freshway Foods of Sidney, Ohio, said it was recalling romaine lettuce sold in 23 states and the District of Columbia because of a possible link to E. coli.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

On the heels of Arizona’s sweeping immigration law signed Friday by Republican Governor Jan Brewer, Fontana Councilwoman Acquanetta Warren, is sounding off calling the crackdown overdue. She faulted U.S. immigration policy and suggested a new study linking illegal immigration with soaring Black unemployment and violence ‘damning evidence of failure’.Sunday Warren, who is running for an Assembly seat in the June 8 Republican primary, made the rounds at local churches.

PHOENIX, Ariz.—Black civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton led a prayer vigil here on Wednesday at which he called for mass civil disobedience against the state’s new anti-immigration law.Some 2,500 people in the diverse gathering at the Phoenix Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church signed pledges to join Sharpton, who vowed to commit civil disobedience if the law were to take effect.Where is MALDEF....oh wait, there thinking, planning or just looking in the mirror ?On Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. (MST), MALDEF, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Arizona and the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) will hold a news conference on the steps of the State Capitol Executive Tower in Phoenix, Arizona to announce that they are preparing to challenge Arizona’s extreme new law, which requires law enforcement to question people about their immigration status during everyday police encounters and criminalizes immigrants for failing to carry their “papers.” The unconstitutional law, the groups say, encourages racial profiling, endangers public safety and betrays American values.

Incorrect phone number‎‎ By mhutt82 - Sep 17, 2009The phone number listed above, 602-427-0260 602-427-0260, is incorrect. It routes callers to a Phoenix-based marketing communications company. It does NOT take callers to the Phoenix Census Bureau Office.‎maps.google.comspan.zzNumUsersFoundThisHelpful{display:none};span.zzNumUsersFoundThisHelpfulActive{display:inline}4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes - No - Flag as inappropriateUnscroupulous Employer‎‎ By Bear - Jun 10, 2009WARNING to Prospective Employees: Apply here at your own risk. While the US Census is a legit Bureau of the US Department of Commerce, this office, the Census 2010 Phoenix Central Office #3112, is a temporary office for the 2010 Census effort, is staffed by quasi-professionals and hires hundreds of temporary workers without the protection of important employment policies designed to ensure fair employment practices and are not afforded customary due process and protections normally found in reputable Human Resource policy. Multiple sources have confirmed that this particular office is a high pressure, highly political and competitive work environment and there is an established natural resistance to, and even subterfuge of, the newly hired associate. Any temporary associate is subject to immediate termination without any requirement of prior counseling, warning, retraining or even minimal prior documentation. Newer associates are seen as strategically ...‎ More »WARNING to Prospective Employees: Apply here at your own risk. While the US Census is a legit Bureau of the US Department of Commerce, this office, the Census 2010 Phoenix Central Office #3112, is a temporary office for the 2010 Census effort, is staffed by quasi-professionals and hires hundreds of temporary workers without the protection of important employment policies designed to ensure fair employment practices and are not afforded customary due process and protections normally found in reputable Human Resource policy. Multiple sources have confirmed that this particular office is a high pressure, highly political and competitive work environment and there is an established natural resistance to, and even subterfuge of, the newly hired associate. Any temporary associate is subject to immediate termination without any requirement of prior counseling, warning, retraining or even minimal prior documentation. Newer associates are seen as strategically releasable and used as cover to disguise supervisory or managerial incompetence. Prospective employees should be aware to be hired here at your own risk because this office can, and sometimes does, exploit hires and expel anyone who complains without any due process or recourse. I can personally affirm the authenticity of this assessment having served as a Field Operations Supervisor out of this office during the Address Canvassing Operation in Winter/Spring 2009. If there are any further questions, I can be contacted via email at gmail under "CensusBear" and will be happy to respond to any questions. « Hidemaps.google.comspan.zzNumUsersFoundThisHelpful{display:none};span.zzNumUsersFoundThisHelpfulActive{display:inline}3 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes - No - Flag as inappropriateNot a nice place to work‎‎ By Carolyn - Jun 10, 2009My girlfreind works in this office and asked me to write this because she knows she would lose her job there tomorrow if she said anything critical. She says this place is a snakepit and all she listens to everyday is back-stabing gossup. She did not personally know Bear (the author of the first review on this place) when he worked there, but heard he was one of the better mangers who cared how his people were treated. She has seen incompitency cover'd up at others expense and good people fired or "released" because they asked to many revealing questions about things that are supposed to be going on. In the case of the AMFO, she has seen this several times and wonders how someone so obviously inept can blame everyone around him and not have any accountability himself. Finaly my freind says, "Every time someone from the big office in Denver visits Phoenix, everyone is warned to be on their best behavor." Glad I don't work there and I wish my friend did'nt ...‎ More »My girlfreind works in this office and asked me to write this because she knows she would lose her job there tomorrow if she said anything critical. She says this place is a snakepit and all she listens to everyday is back-stabing gossup. She did not personally know Bear (the author of the first review on this place) when he worked there, but heard he was one of the better mangers who cared how his people were treated. She has seen incompitency cover'd up at others expense and good people fired or "released" because they asked to many revealing questions about things that are supposed to be going on. In the case of the AMFO, she has seen this several times and wonders how someone so obviously inept can blame everyone around him and not have any accountability himself. Finaly my freind says, "Every time someone from the big office in Denver visits Phoenix, everyone is warned to be on their best behavor." Glad I don't work there and I wish my friend did'nt have to. « Hidemaps.google.comspan.zzNumUsersFoundThisHelpful{display:none};span.zzNumUsersFoundThisHelpfulActive{display:inline}4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful? Yes - No - Flag as inappropriate

The implications and connections between Italians, Jews, Magyars, Eastern Europeans immigrants and Hispanics in this essay are based on the similar political and socio economic realities both of these groups shared a mere century apart. The latest census, in my opinion, and those of you who filled it out would agree that the US is forcing Hispanics to choose a side; either you're a white or black of Hispanic background. There will be no third (brown) race in the U.S.; America will remain a black or white nation. The laws in Arizona could be a similar attempt that could perhaps be motivate by the secret plot to Americanize/divide all the Hispanics in the country, as was done with the southern and Eastern European in the 1920’s; as it is evident in continuing growth of the Hispanic population in the united states and as the second, third, and fourth regeneration of Hispanics whom no longer can identify with any Latin American nation.

Reporter: April MadisonTucson, Ariz. (KGUN9-TV) - Fear... that's one of the reasons for Arizona's poor showing in the 2010 Census. Now, as thousands prepare to start going door-to-door to find those who haven't been counted, some worry that fear will only get worse.

Talk about adding salt to a wound...Can Arizona be trusted, with the information they collect? Can Census takers be trusted to uphold their oath, or will they carry their own agenda ?

Other billsAmong the dozens of bills awaiting Gov. Jan Brewer's action are several that didn't pass until the final hours of the legislative session. Most of these provoked controversy or needed last-minute fixes to get through. They include:• Senate Bill 1307, which bans human-animal hybrids. It won narrow approval in both chambers of the Legislature this week. Opponents ridiculed its attempt to legislate actions that they say have no foundation in reality, with Democrats cracking jokes about minotaurs and mermaids.But proponents, such as Cathi Herrod of the Center for Arizona Policy, said there is evidence that such activities have been happening in Europe, and they want to prevent that from coming to Arizona.• Senate Bill 1254, which provides tax credits for companies that produce electricity from renewable energy. Senators killed it during a debate on the merits of targeted tax incentives, but revived it hours later.• Senate Bill 2143, continues the state Department of Liquor Licenses and Control for another five years and extends the hours of liquor sales on Sundays. If signed, liquor sales could start at 6 a.m., the same time as the other days of the week, instead of the current 10 a.m.• House Bill 1045 continues SCF, a quasi-governmental agency that provides workers' compensation insurance to more than 30,000 businesses, for another two years. It also creates a road map for the agency to convert into a mutual-insurance company that would be an entirely private entity, governed by a private board. That private company must be operating by January 2013.

"It turns out that one big reason people assume that politicians are slippery opportunists whose words can’t be trusted is that many of them are slippery opportunists whose words can’t be trusted. Read more:

"President Obama said at an event in the Rose Garden Wednesday afternoon to celebrate Cinco de Mayo that he wants to begin work on comprehensive immigration reform legislation this year."Surprise, Surprise !

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The GOP will take a hit in November: The Latino vote in the U.S. is a sleeping giant, says Froma Harrop at Real Clear Politics, but this may be the alarm that wakes up the giant, and sends far more Latinos to the polls. Although many Hispanics are socially conservative on immigration, abortion and gay rights, "this law is being perceived as singling out their kind." Democrats will reap the benefit."Latino giant to change US politics"

The Journal, citing an unnamed source, reported that Shahzad was granted an H-1B visa for skilled "specialty occupation" workers in April 2002. He stayed in the U.S. for three years on that visa while he earned an M.B.A. The newspaper said it was not clear what company sponsored his visa, as would be required under immigration laws.Shahzad reported on Oct. 20, 2008, that he had married Huma Asif Mian, a U.S. citizen. He became naturalized as a U.S. citizen six months later, taking an oath of allegiance in which he said he would "absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen."

"The refusal to admit that racial profiling exists by many public officials and many in law enforcement has done much to torpedo nearly every effort by local and national civil rights and civil liberties groups to get law enforcement and federal agencies not only to admit that racial profiling happens but to end it. A perennial federal bill served up by House Democrat John Conyers to get federal agencies to collect stats and do reports on racial profiling still hasn't gotten to first base."

"The Arizona Department of Education recently began ordering school districts to bar teachers who speak accented or ungrammatical English from classes containing English Language Learners. The move comes after the state specifically recruited teachers from Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries in the 1990s, when Arizona schools allowed Spanish-speaking children to be taught in their native language."

A Connecticut man who recently spent several months in his native Pakistan was arrested at Kennedy Airport early today in connection with the attempted Times Square car bombing, law-enforcement sources told The Post.Read more:

"I realize this is a sensitive issue — nobody likes being kicked when he or she is down — but progress depends on all sides being willing to speak honestly with each other about what they want and expect. And while immigrants-rights groups have been vocal about how they believe immigrants should be treated in this country, it is also true that Americans have a right to be vocal about what they expect from immigrants. One thing Americans have a right to expect is that immigrants will in fact make an effort to assimilate. Often this means learning English. On this score, the data are pretty clear that most immigrants will, and with a quickness.".... by Michel Martin

An effective leader, knows his followers, their needs and their dreams. They achieve their effectiveness by listening to their words and remembering their faces. A difficult task, if your behind a desk, or read about their plight via e-mail.

I'd love to find MORE Hispanic people who can proudly say MALDEF, is on my side. People who really need your help NOW!

Had to sleep on this issue and finally decided that the last thing we as Latinos need right now is harsh criticism among ourselves. The fact of the matter is that we remained peaceful and this time we saw more famous faces.

In my humble opinion our NEXT STEP furthering our cause for justice is crucial, immigration reform has been on many Presidential Plates and we're still washing the dishes and cleaning up in silence, only now, those of us who’s parents made sure we could live the American Dream, will get caught in the middle, because we thought we were Americans, and said nothing. It’s time to start thinking about tomorrow and amend how we live today.

My suggestions:

Organize our activist nationwide, so we carry the same message and agenda. Use facebook, twitter, Skype, heck use smoke signs, key is NETWORK.

From there, TOGETHER we can push for:

· Halt, not suspend all Hispanic enlistments into the military, until we can guarantee their parents will be their when they come home.

· Suggest all contributions Illegal Immigrants have made, that are currently being held in “The Earning Suspense File” be placed in escrow. Interest paid, should be used for Immigrants in need.

· Register to vote ! (this has a lot of options)

· Demand more programs like “Al Punto” Our Hispanic TV channels, promote stupidity. (sorry is one is a sore subject for me)

· Listen to talk radio, from both perspectives.

I’m sure there are better and more ideas out their, let me know what you think. Key point is, that we need more than marches. Send me an e-mail and be patient, some days my in box has a lot of nice and some hateful emails and I like to read them all, so it may take me a while.